Rewriting Childhood through Inclusivity and Innovation: A Study of Mythological Narratives for Children in the works of Sudha Murty and Devdutt Pattanaik

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this paper is to explore how Indian myths are reshaped to communicate modern related concerns of inclusivity and innovation. This paper insists that Sudha Murty’s method of storytelling fosters inclusivity through the moral sensitivity and empathy through the portrayal of lesser-known figures of mythology, whereas Devdutt Pattanaik’s retellings advance interpretive openness, challenging the singular perspective of the mythological stories.

Methodology and Approach: This paper is qualitative research and an interpretive methodology from the perspective of Demythologization by Rudolf Bultmann. The texts are studied as a narrative and visual concept concerning moral clarity, interpretive openness and cultural preservation through storytelling.

Outcome: Through this paper, the research has found that the mythological stories, if restructured in accordance with modern context, can be understood in various ways, because there is no single perspective to look at mythology, as it is open for various interpretations, which will definitely help children to think critically and improve their decision-making skills.

Conclusion and Suggestions: This study concludes that despite holding up with the contrasting approaches, both the writers equally come up with the idea of reinterpreting childhood confrontation with Indian mythology by transforming the earlier narratives as an instrument for ethical and critical development as per the modern perspective of children’s literature.